In conventional air charger systems, atmospheric air enters through the air charger system for compression. Moisture is always present in atmospheric air in the form of water vapor. Moisture is also a byproduct of the combustion process of converting fuel to mechanical work output in an internal combustion engine.
The pistons in the engine, even though sealed properly, will occasionally let small amounts of fuel, air and water vapor pass into the crankcase which will collect over time. These crankcase gases are vented through a valve to either the intake manifold or the air charger system, depending upon available vacuum.
In situations where the crankcase is vented to the air charger system, the air mixture is heated during the compression process. To increase efficiency in the combustion chamber, the heated compressed air is cooled by a heat exchanger.
In cold climates, the effects of the heat exchanger in addition to the cold ambient air sometimes causes the water vapor in the charged air to change phase and accumulate. This intake air restriction may cause the engine to not run as expected or not start at all. It is desirable to have a way to detect when such conditions may affect an air charging system's state of health, and to provide strategies to mitigate such occurrences.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present exemplary embodiment will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.